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The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) have resolved to collaborate towards ensuring efficiency and ease of doing business at the Onne Port. This resolve will also see both bodies work towards harmonizing charges at the port and the free zone area.
Listing challenges confronting them during a stakeholders’ forum, held at the Onne Ports complex on Thursday March 22, 2018, operators at the port pointed to the issue of double charges imposed on them by the NPA and the free zone.
According to the operators, other challenges confronting them include security concerns, depth of the channel, need for dredging to allow bigger vessels call at the port, cost of doing business at the ports, and others.
Managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman, who was represented by the executive director, Finance and Administration, Mohammed Bello Koko, noted that Onne Port is strategic to the economic well-being of the nation.
She said that the NPA and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, have agreed on the need to work together towards ensuring ease of doing business for operators, and would urgently tackle issues of double land charges raised by the operators.
Usman said the NPA is collaborating with security agencies at the ports to step up security, and is procuring two 17m offshore patrol boat that would greatly increase the patrol capacity, as well as six tugboats, which would be deployed to Onne.
She said a committee that would consider the magnitude of wrecks in and around the ports, with the view to removing them to make the ports safe for vessels entering or leaving, while the authority would ensure a review of the GMT and concession of the terminal operators.
Usman further said the authority would be seeking an amendment of its extant law, to make it easier for it (NPA) to undertake its equipment procurement like the NNPC and ministry of defence, adding that some equipment required by the authority are not bought off the shelf, but are purpose-built, and can take up to 18 months for the manufacturer to produce before delivering.
Manager of the Onne Port, Alhassan Ismaila Abubakar, said the port has recorded improvement in areas of service delivery to its operators, especially as it relates to doing business, and has recently received six CCTV cameras and two security patrol vans to enhance its surveillance operations.
Abubakar disclosed that the gross tonnage at the port has increased from 39,887,31MT in 2016 to 42,903,447MT in 2017 showing that the port has appropriately aligned with Presidential Enabling Business council (PEBEC), adding that Onne port has witnessed improvements in vessels traffic handling from 662 in 2016 to 684 in 2017.
Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), Umanah Okon Umanah, who was present at the stakeholders’ meeting, commended the NPA for re-positioning the port for improved efficiency, and urged stakeholders to collaborate with the NPA in its efforts to make the port a hub of maritime activities.
